Golden State Daisy was found as a natural daisy from mutation (sport) of the variety Golden State (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,694) by Jose Luis Cardona in a controlled environment at Clearwater Nursery, Nipomo, Calif. 93444, U.S.A. This mutation was discovered as one flowering shoot within a flowering bench of seedlings of Golden State, in April of 1993.
The first act of asexual reproduction of Golden State Daisy was accomplished when Jose Luis Cardona took vegetative cuttings in July of 1993, in a controlled environment in Nipomo, Calif.
Horticultural examination of controlled flowerings of successive plantings has shown that the unique combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for Golden State Daisy are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
Golden State Daisy has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in the environment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.
The following observations, measurements and comparisons describe plants grown in a controlled environment in Nipomo, Calif. Unrooted cuttings were directly stuck into 6.4" pots and grown under the natural temperature and day length prevailing in June through August of 1997.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of Golden State Daisy, which in combination distinguish this Chrysanthemum as a new and distinct cultivar.
1. Flat capitulum form.
2. Flat capilulum type.
3. Yellow fully expanded ray florets.
4. Yellow Daisy disc with green eye.
5. Diameter across the face of the capitulum is 8.5 cm.
6. Exceptional uprignt to spreading habit when an average of 5 breaks after a single pinch.
7. Flowering response is approximately 59 days from the start of short days.
8. Relatively easy to control plant height from bench such that the finished height will range from 16 inches to 18 18 inches depending on pot size and market requirements.
Golden State Daisy differs from its parent, Golden State (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,694), in the following ways.
1. The flower in Golden State Daisy has a traditional daisy eye; i.e., the disc florets do not dramatically increase in length as the disc matures. In contrast, the eye of the Golden State flower is that of a true anemone, having disc florets that significantly increase in length as the flower matures.
Golden State Daisy differs from Golden State's parents Indo (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,774) and Hopscotch (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,816) in the following ways.
1. Golden State Daisy has an 8.5 week response time, while Indo and Hopscotch have an 8 week response time.
2. Indio is an anemone rather than a daisy and is shorter than Golden State Daisy
3. There are no known foliage sensitivities with Golden State Daisy (nor Golden State while Indio has known sensitivity to the chemical pesticide. Dursban.
4. Hopscotch is not recommended for year round production, while this not not a problem for Golden State Daisy.